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www.spec.com.au OBSERVER SPORT SAMUEL ORD PORTLAND’S whale boat racing crews received a frustrating change in schedule this week following the cancellation of the 2016 Australian Whale Boat Championships. With the event scheduled to be held in Warrnambool this weekend, the Warrnambool City Council made the decision to cancel the event following a drop off in participation, with just nine teams prepared to race, well below the traditional number of entrants. The news that the championships would not take place this year was a notable disappointment for Portland’s crews, with the women’s teams preparing for a title defence after taking out the series in 2015. According to Promoting Portland Maritime Heritage spokesperson Gordon Stokes, the cancellation was a major disappointment after significant training and preparation had already taken place. “Naturally, PPMH and its crews that have been training are very disappointed,” Stokes said. “We had three crews which were likely contenders, with the women’s team in serious training as the current title holders. We weren’t planning on entering a mixed team this year and instead were preparing for two men’s sides, both of which have been in training for months.” Stokes said that while Portland had PORTLAND OBSERVER Friday February 19 2016 39 EMAIL: sport@observer.net.au spec.com.au Widespread disappointment as national titles cancelled we agree that the management have experienced problems, primarily with a lack of volunteers and a lack of entries. It’s disappointing for us but we can see why they cancelled the event.” Local whale boat racing crews will now direct their attention to Nelson’s Road2River festival, set for March 19, which will feature a whale boat racing competition. “We’re now focusing on Nelson, and we’ll row all year round, the only thing that really puts us off is bad weather.” - Gordon Stokes “We’re now focusing on Nelson, and we’ll row all year round, the only thing that really puts us off is bad weather. PORTLAND’S whale boat crew will continue to train despite the cancellation of the Australian Whale Boat Championships in Warrnambool. been preparing for the championships for considerable amount of time, after speaking with the key organisers of the event, it was easy to appreciate why the tough decision had been made. “The women’s team are quite disappointed, but we have had a long conversation with the organisers, and Picture: JOSH NASH 160217jn12 “I think the whole point is to provide a public spectacle. The championships will definitely be on next year, and I think they’ll put a greater focus on promotion and preparation, and address some of the issues that have arisen this year. “We’ve got a good relationship with the organisers in Warrnambool and as a result we’d do anything we possibly could within our capabilities to assist them to get the Australian Championships back on track for 2017.” South Coast Raceway celebrates 10-year anniversary JASON BARBIN IF the history of drag racing in Australia has taught the world of motorsport anything, it’s that a good track can be hard to find. Portland’s South Coast Raceway is a track that has defied the odds and tomorrow celebrates its 10-year anniversary with the first car to race down the strip occurring on February 3, 2006. The track will celebrate with the three rounds of the Nitro Funny Cars tearing down the strip while also hosting an array of other classes, followed by a live band once racing ends. South Coast Drag Racing Association’s Greg Holland said it’s a major milestone for the club and the track. “It is a big celebration, the club’s been going for around 20 years but we’ve had the track operational for 10 years. “The first race car that was put down the track was on the February 3, 2006, so we’re nearly right on the money for 10 years exactly. “We’re getting a few old members back to reminisce about how they went down and we will try and get as many people out there as possible to celebrate the occasion,” Holland said. The group initially started racing at the Portland airport during the mid 1990s before construction of South Coast Raceway began in 2002. Construction took three years to complete and Holland said there was a lot of time put in to getting it up and running. “John Cleary put his hand up to lease the land to the club. He was right into it and his sons were drag racers and we couldn’t get any other dirt anywhere else. “All the Clearys have had a big say in drag racing in the region with all them competing and having success. “There were limited resources back then for any drag racing in Victoria with Calder Park’s reign coming to an end, and with nowhere else to go, we thought we’d try and get a track up and running. “It wasn’t easy going and the members at the time did a lot of hard work and spent a lot money on the research and development of what we see today.” Since then the track has seen highlight after highlight including hosting the Australian National Drag Racing Association series since 2012. The track has also hosts the America v Australia Jet Car challenge and experienced the power of the Nitro Funny Cars on multiple occasions. Holland said the track has adapted over the years to accommodate the variety of drag racing events and has turned into one of the most popular strips in the country. “In 2006 there was only one concrete wall on the spectator side and that only went halfway down the racing surface. “The return road wasn’t sealed at all, you just drove back on the grass and the pits were basically a park where you can situation. “There were very limited facilities compared to what there is now, which is right up there in the pointy end of the best facilities, not only for a regional track but any drag racing track in the country.” With the track continually growing in popularity, Holland said they hope to get more use out it in the future. “We’ll hopefully keep our relationship with ANDRA how it is, we’ve given them help along the way and they’ve given us help. “We’ll keep upgrading our facilities as we go and we’ll try and make it more of a multi-use facility. “We’ve got driver training out there and the Portland Cycling Club uses the facility as well, so we’ll try and develop it a bit more and make it a multi-faceted facility.” For all the hardship and success the track has seen in the past 10 years, Holland said the credit goes to those who have made the track what it is. THE first four cars to fly down South Coast Raceway 10 years ago line up at the starting line. Picture: JOSH NASH 160216jn12 “The biggest thing that’s helped South Coast Raceway be as popular as it is are the volunteers; there hasn’t been a paid person ever and it’s all done by volunteers. “We couldn’t have gotten to where we are or continue what we’re doing without the help of the many volunteers along the way.”